Switch-operating device for street-railways.



No. 799,900. PATENT@S9913. 19, 1994.

' H. s. HALE.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE EUR STREET RAILWAYS.

. l APPLICATION FILED .I 1I. 5 1903. N0 MODEL. A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1` N. 709,900. TATENTED SEPT. 19', 1904.

E. s. HALE.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE E03 STREET EAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1903. I N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y ffesf /m/e/fof1 @E lUNirn STATES PATENT Patented September 13, 1904.

Pricing SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 769,900, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed January', 1903.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.'

- Be it known that I, HENRY S. HALE, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inv Switch-Operating Devices for Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to switch-operating devices of street-railways; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide street-railway tracks and cars with means for automatically throwing the switch to direct the car over either of two branching tracks under the control of the motorman, and thereby insure the saving of a great deal of time now consumed by having to stop the car until the motorman throws the switch by hand. My invention also obviates the necessity of employing a switchman at such branching points in the track, such employees being largely where the traiiic is large and the cars numerous.

In carrying out my invention I provide the switch of the track at the branching points with a movable tongue and lateral extensions, which project above the roadway and by which the tongue may be shifted, and combined therewith I employ a shifting device on the forward end of the car having a cam part or parts, preferably in form Aof wheels, which are adapted to be thrust down into position to act upon the extensions in the track for moving the switch-tongue. I also prefer to throw the operating cam parts into or out of operative position by compressd air acting through a piston and cylinders and under the control of the motorman on the front platform.

My invention also comprehends details of construction which, together with the above features, will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a railway and portion of a car embodying my invention. Eig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of the track, carwheel, and switch-tongue-operating devices.

Serial No. 137,848. (No model.)

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a switch having my improvements applied thereto, and Fig. I is a cross-section of Fig. 3 on line 4 4.

A is the main track, Al the branch track, and B the tongue-switch at the junction of said tracks. The main track may be said to branch at the switch. The switch B may be of any ordinary construction, having a movable tongue C pivoted at c. This tongue has at or near its point lateral extensions CZ extending through apertures I) in the sides of the switch-rails and terminating in upwardly-projecting parts D D. The upper portions of the parts D D project above the rail-level and are preferably rounded or beveled, as shown. These parts D D' may be inclosed within castmetal boxes P, bolted to the switch structure and forming shallow wells in which they may move to or from the switch structure.

The car E is provided with a pivoted frame E, hinged at f, beneath the front platform. The frame constitutes a lever, the forward arm of which is preferably shorter than the rear arm. Pivoted to the end of the forward arm is a wheel G and to the end of the rear arm a wheel H. These wheels are preferably formed with beveled faces on the adjacent surfaces to act as cams to respectively move the parts D D of the tongue C of the switch.

The frame E may be operated by hand or power to tilt it to throw the forward wheel Gr or rear wheel H down into position to act upon the projections D D/, as desired. The wheels G H are separated laterally a suflicient distance to enable the wheel G to act upon the projection D to throw the tongue to the position shown in Eig. 3 or the wheel H to act upon the projection Dl to throw the tongue C over to guide the car upon the branch track A. I prefer to arrange the wheel H as close to the supporting or drive car-wheel e as possible. It may even overlap it, as shown. The object of this is to enable the device to throw the tongue C over just before the wheel e passes upon it and so that said tongue is not shifted for a period so far in advance of the guiding' function that it is liable to be jarred back when relieved of the action of the wheel H. I, however, do not confine myself to this arrangement.

The lever-frame F may be suitably operated by compressed air, such as employed for actuating the air-brakes. To do this, I provide a cylinder J, having a piston I, connected with the lever-frame F. Air is admitted or allowed to exhaust from either end of the cylinder J by pipes K L and valve M of any suitable construction. By these means the frame F is oscillated to throw either wheel G or H into actuating position. A spring S may be used to `normally holdthe frame F so that neither of the cam-wheels G H are in operative position, Fig. l.

I have described the preferred form of my invention; but I do not limit myself to the details thereof, as my invention comprehends a switch having projecting parts suitably arranged to shift its tongue, combined with the cam parts carried by the car adapted to operate them to shift the tongue in advance of the approaching car and as more fully pointed out in the claims.

l Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a main track and branch track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks having a movablel tongue and two upwardlyextending parts having connection with said tongue to respectively move it into each of its operative positions, a car and a switch-operating independent cam mechanism upon the car under the control of the motorman to respectively press upon the outer faces of either of the upwardly-extending parts at will but not at the same time to shift the,`

switch-tongue in advance of the car.

2. The combination of a main track and a vbranch track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks having a movable tongue and two upwardly-extending parts having connection with said tongues to respectively move it into each of its operative positions, a car and a switch-operating cam mechanism upon the car under the control of the motorman to press upon either of the upwardly-extending parts at will to shift the switch-tongue in advance of the car consisting of a pivoted frame having beveled cams upon each end and respectively adapted to act upon the two upwardlyextending parts of the tongue said cams being arranged out of yalinernent with the rails and means for rocking the pivoted frame to bring either cam into operative position.

3. The combination of a main track and branch track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks having a movable tongue and two upwardly-extending parts having connection with said tongue to respectively move it into each'of its operative positions, a vcar and a switch-operating cam mechanism upon the car under the control of the motorman to press upon either of the upwardly-extending parts at will to shift the switch-tongue in advance of the car consisting of a pivoted bar arranged lunder the front platform and extending longitudinally of the car, cam-wheels journaled at each end of the frame and out of alinement, a cylinder, a piston therefor connected to oscillate the pivoted frame, a source of pressure, and means for controlling the supply of pressure to either end of the cylinder.

4. The combination of a main track and branch track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks having a movable tongue and two upwardly-extending parts having connection with said tongue to respectively move it into each of its operative positions, a car and a switch-operating cam mechanism upon the car under the control of the motorman to press upon either of the upwardly-extending parts at will to shift the switch-tongue in advance of the car consisting of a pivoted frame having cams upon each end and respectively adapted to act upon the two upwardly extending' parts for the tongue and means for rocking the pivoted frame to bring-either cam into operative position, and pneumatic devices under the control of the motorman for oscillating the pivoted frame at will.

5. The combination of a main track and branch. track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks havinga movable tongue and two upwardly-extending parts having connection with said tongue to respectively move it into each of its operative positions, a car and a switch-operating cam mechanism upon the car under the control of the motorman to press upon either of the upwardly-extending parts yat will to shift the switch-tongue in advance of the car consisting of apivoted frame having cams upon each end and respectively adapted to act upon the two upwardly-extending parts for the tongue and means for rocking the pivoted frame to bring either cam into operative position, a spring to hold the pivoted frame normally horizontal, and pneumatic devices under the control of the motorman for oscillating the pivoted frame at will.

6. The combination with branching tracks, of a switch having a movable tongue and lateral and upwardly-extending parts therefrom, upon each side of the switch structure, a car, and means on the car for imparting a lateral pressure to the outside edges of either of the upwardly-extending parts and in a direction toward the switch-tongue to shift it.

7. The combination of a main track and branch track, a switch at the juncture of the tracks having a movable tongue and two upwardly-extending parts having connection with said tongue to respectively move it into each of its operative positions, a car and a switch-operating cam mechanism upon the IOO IIO

car under the oontrolof themotorman to press upon the outer surfaces of the upwardly-exupon either of the upwardly-extending parts tending parts. IO at Will to shift the switch-tongue in advance In testimony of which invention I hereunto of the ear consisting of a longitudinal frame set my hand.

5 pivoted to the car in advance of the Wheels, HENRY S. HALE.

means to depress either end of the frame, Witnesses: and cam-Wheels journaled at each end of the R. M. HUNTER, pvoted frame having beveled edges to act R. M. KELLY. 

